Bolonia, Costa de la Luz

Bolonia sits on the breathtakingly beautiful Costa de la Luz. Follow the signs to Cadíz from Marbella, go past Gibraltar and you’ll reach Tarifa. This old, walled town, steeped in history and wind-lashed, is not only the gateway to this spectacular stretch of coastline, but also to another continent. Views of the Moroccan peninsula are breathtaking – you can almost reach out, touch it and sing the harmonies… It’s gonna take a lot to take me away from you, There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do… This cool, beach town is hugely popular with the windsurfing and kitesurfing set, and is packed with VW vans, the fragrance of hash and boardshort-wearing dudes in the summer months.

After a quick detour to Tarifa, keep on driving with the Med on your left and you’ll reach Bolonia.

Bolonia is one of those places that we’re wary of recommending. Why wary? Because it’s just about perfect right now. A smattering of local restaurants, a chiringuito that serves caipirinhas worthy of Rio, and the Roman city of Baelo Claudia. Yes, a Roman city.

We discovered it about 12 years ago, driving back to Marbella from a long weekend away in Portugal. A battered old rusty roadsign, that looked as though cowboys had taken pot-shots at it, announced Roman ruins. So, in need of a pit-stop, we swung a right and took a winding road up and up and then down to the bay.

What we discovered has become one of our favourite places on earth. Europe’s tallest sand dune glimmers over the bay, surrounded by pine trees. The sand is dotted with beach bars and eateries (some better than others, admittedly) and the ruins now boast a modern, wonderfully-curated museum and visitor centre. Up in the hills are stark and brave modern houses offering some of the most breathtaking views in all of Europe.

We guarantee that you’ll fall in love with it like we did. Just don’t tell anyone else about it.

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